Rah-e-Rast & Snipers

[waraich66]

Pictured: The supergun that kills from a mile - and the camouflaged crackshots using it against the Taliban
By Christopher Leake
Last updated at 1:04 AM on 16th February 2009

Comments (21) Add to My Stories
British Army snipers call it 'the Silent Assassin' and it is the weapon the Taliban fear the most.
It is the British-made L115A3 Long Range Rifle which, in recent weeks, has killed scores of enemy fighters in Afghanistan.
In a new initiative on the front line, the Army is using sniper platoons to target the Taliban and 'The Long', as the snipers call it, can take out insurgents from a mile away.
Made to measure: Army sniper Yuppie in his home-made camouflage suit
Many of the elite marksmen who use the rifle make their own extraordinary suits of camouflage to stay hidden from the Taliban.
Some have been known to go 'under cover' for two days while they pick off the enemy.
Last week Army snipers were training with the rifle and full camouflage on the snow-covered ranges of the Support Weapons School at the Land Warfare Centre at Warminster, Wiltshire.
Enlarge Deadly: The rifle is known as 'The Long' and can take out insurgents from a mile away
One of them, known as Yuppie, said: 'You could call it made-to-measure camouflage.
'This one is green string tied into sheets, then covered in straw with straps attached so it fits tight. It took three months and a lot of patience to make.'
His comrade Dean, who like Yuppie is a veteran of Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Northern Ireland, said: 'I wouldn't say us snipers are an elite, but we think we're a cut above the rest.'
The L115A3 Long Range Sniper Rifle - based on a weapon used by the British Olympic shooting team - weighs 15lbs, fires 8.59mm rounds and has a range of 1,100-1,500 yards

 

[Xeric]

I was suggesting that any information regarding the prices paid for raw material and any information regarding prices over time, of weapons and ammo, may allow us to make informed inferences.

Wouldnt that be too much to ask?

 

[muse]

-- It's not too much to ask, it's simple - you can be SURE, that others are doing it, they want to be sure they offer informed analysis to their commanders. Somethings in Pakistan are exceptionally well done, other things, alas.

 

[Xeric]

Befoe we proceed further i found this. Quite an old article(2006).
.........Betrayal

"This farcical war on terror has been hard on us," says Haji Afridi.

"The government has forced us to stop manufacturing heavy arms. It says such weapons are used by terrorists."

For Darra tribesmen, the government's crackdown amounts to a betrayal of sorts.

They say it was the government itself that transferred heavy weapons technology to Darra in the late 1980s..........

................Under threat

Analysts say these open arms markets were an invaluable asset for Pakistani policy-makers before 9/11.

Influential traders in Darra Adam Khel proudly talk about their role in arming the Islamist fighters engaged in Kashmir.

...............Punjabis love small arms and Punjab is our major market
Arms trader Haji Afridi

Others recall the times when the Pakistani authorities would encourage them to supply more to one Afghan commander than the other.

This privileged status now seems to be under threat.

Senior military officials say open arms markets are contributing significantly to the conflict between Taleban fighters and Pakistani security forces in the tribal belt.

One official told the BBC News website that Pakistan's top army intelligence unit had recommended the immediate closure of all arms markets in the tribal belt soon after 9/11...........



So what do you think when the current law enforcement operation was planned the Darra factor would not have been taken into consideration?

 

[muse]

It may well have been taken into consideration, it might be helpful to point out that we are not talking about acre long and wide factories but small operations that when taken as a whole can be significant, the manufacturing equipment is not such that it cannot be moved, further, Law enforcement has not been a strong point for Pakistani authorities, for a variety of reasons. It was interesting to note that Haji Afridi, while complaining that his business had declined, in particular with regard to heavy weapons, did not suggest that he was no longer in business or that he would soon not be in business.

 

[Xeric]

You are right that we are not clear/sure about the the complete shut down of the market but we also have to take into consideration that currently the military has claimed that they have broken the supply lines if the terrorists, let me use my imagination and say that that for sure have meant the supply line both from across the border and within, though the formal operation still has to reach the tribal belt (now i am not sure which 'route' is the military going to take to get there, but Darra is going to be affected once the bias increase towards Baitullah Mehsud.

Moreover, the article quotes that the 'assistance' from Darra to Kashmir and Afghanistan was under the govt's patronage, which i dont think would have been left practicable after 9/11.

Lastly, i personally feel the remainder of Pakistan makes more use of Darra as compared to the terrorists.

 

[muse]

Xeric


There are reports from others, especially in Afghanistan , that prices for Darra products have indeed shot up dramatically - which may suggest that supply is tight, which in turn may suggest that either supply has been curtailed by LEA's or that supply has been diverted to other markets. Imagination works

 

[blain2]

I have one issue to point out. I really do not think any Talib is going into battle with the Darra weaponry by choice. I know quite well the quality issues with it and while looks may be deceiving, the metallurgy is of poor quality (due to the poor quality of raw materials used).

 

[Xeric]

Xeric


There are reports from others, especially in Afghanistan , that prices for Darra products have indeed shot up dramatically - which may suggest that supply is tight, which in turn may suggest that either supply has been curtailed by LEA's or that supply has been diverted to other markets. Imagination works

What about the increase in price due to increase in demand somewhere away from the terrorists. Haven't you seen everyone crying about the gun culture even in our large cities? Imagination sure do work.

BTW, shouldn't this surge in the price have been reported when the Swat dilemma actually took an abusive turn?

Or may be you want to suggest that while the military tightens the noose in the North, the tribal belt (BM and associates) are preparing themselves to take on the blunt by securing their reserves from Darra in bulk thus asking for a price hike?

Or may be (some more imagination) the terrorists went on shortage of weapons all of a sudden while fighting the military and ordered weapons in bulk from darra thus again asking for the surge in prices?

Comments please?

 

[muse]

Blain


Have we anything that may qualify as "defintive" in this regard, if Darra is not the first choice, and Afghan Jihad stuff does not have an indefinte shelf life, where is this stuf coming from?? and how is it getting through?

 

[Xeric]

Blain


Have we anything that may qualify as "defintive" in this regard, if Darra is not the first choice, and Afghan Jihad stuff does not have an indefinte shelf life, where is this stuf coming from?? and how is it getting through?

Muse dear you not so sada as you are trying to be... No offense.

 

[muse]

What's "Sada" got to do with it? -- "Informed inferences", this suggests some intelligence from which we can build a picture - not the first easily available answer where in ideology suffices where intelligence does not reach. We can also ways "suspect", but in the the real world, any informed inference" must be backed up by soild intel, that's just the way it is, even if we get wrong what the intel means we must must have the intel.

 

[Xeric]

What's "Sada" got to do with it? -- "Informed inferences", this suggests some intelligence from which we can build a picture - not the first easily available answer where in ideology suffices where intelligence does not reach. We can also ways "suspect", but in the the real world, any informed inference" must be backed up by soild intel, that's just the way it is, even if we get wrong what the intel means we must must have the intel.

i requested you not to take offense

 

[muse]

no offence taken. I was just trying to make a point.

 

[Xeric]

no offence taken. I was just trying to make a point.

Point taken